Sectional geate-bar



C. R. WAID.

SECTIONAL GRATE BAR. APPLICATION FILED MAR.22, 1915.

1, 1 95,30 1 Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

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Wan/ 0W UNTTED STATES PATENT @EFlffifi.

CALVIN R. WAID, 0F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

SECTION AL GRATE-BAR.

Application filed'March 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN R. l/VAID, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Grate-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in sectional grate bars which are formed by a plurality of units or segments mounted in a novel manner upon a cross shaft or support so that new segments can be slipped into place in a grate bar without requiring the removal of the grate bar or necessitating the drawing of the fire.

One object of my invention is to provide bifurcated segment bases adapted to straddle and preferably to project below the shaft support where they are engaged and held in alinement and against upward displacement by means of a bent saddle plate over which the bases of the segments are forced and which springs into engagement with alining shoulders on the bases to hold the segments together on the shaft or supporting bar while leaving them as a whole free to be lifted up vertically and removed from the shaft.

Another object of my invention is to provide a tubular shaft, having round threaded bearing ends and a flattened intermediate segment bearing portion which is shaped to fit snugly into the bottom slot in the segment bases. Sleeves are screwed on the shaft ends and serve both as stops to hold the segments in place thereon and as bearing sleeves which are replaceable when worn.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cooling opening through the seg ment fire head which is arranged so that it makes it easy to split the slotted base of an injured segment in order to disengage it from the shaft or saddle plate and permit a new segment to be inserted to replace it.

A further object of my invention is to improve the design of segments of the character described by making them similar, reversible and interchangeable, by' providing their bases with interlocking means to center them on the shaft and relieve the saddle plate of twisting strain, and by a novel arrangement of a depending shaker arm provided on one or more segments and arranged to receive the shaker rod between them regardless of the way the segments are faced.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1916. Serial No. 16,198.

A further object of my invention is to design the fire heads with crushing shoulders on their under corner edges which are rounded and project downwardly so that they will more positively engage and crush clinkers or slate and prevent the segments hanging during the shaking operation.

My invention further comprises the novel features of construction which are hereinafter claimed and which in their preferred embodiment only are hereinafter more particularly described by reference to the drawlngs which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a bar constructed inaccordance with my invention taken on the line wa2 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a partial side view of a part of the bar shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of a segment. Fig. 4 is a view showing the segment mounted in a modified manner direct upon a shaft.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

As illustrated, my bar is formed by means of a tubular shaft having rounded eX- ternally threaded ends 1 which are preferably suitably mounted in the walls of the fire box and which preferably has its intermediate or segment supporting portion 2 flattened on opposite sides to give it an oblong shape in transverse cross section. I mount upon this shaft a rocking saddle plate 3 formed of sheet metal bent to a U- shape in cross section and having its side edges A slightly out-turned and divergent. This saddle plate is adapted to have mounted thereon the several segments which form the sectional grate bar. These segments are all similar in construction and comprise a fire head 5 which is slightly conveX and which is mounted centrally upon a widened base 6. The head is provided with a transverse ventilating opening 7 and the base is provided with a vertical slot 8 opening through the bottom and extending upwardly through the base to a point near the opening 7. The opening 7 leaves the base weakened over the top of the slot 8, so the base can be easily split when it is desired to remove a broken or damaged segment without interfering with the other segments on the bar. Also the opening 7 is so placed as to take care of expansion and contraction strains in the fire head. The side members of the base are tapered at their lower ends on all four sides, as will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Also I make the bottom open end of the slot 8 slightly flaring. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the left hand side member of the base is provided with a vertical groove 9 in its front side face which extends from top to bottom thereof and the front face of the other side member of the base is provided with a raised shoulder 10. These shoulders 10 however are interrupted in each case by a transverse notch 11 disposed substantially midway of the side member and which extends inwardly to bring its inner side wall into alinement with the adjacent side face of the fire head 5. This notch will prevent buckling of the several segment bases when heated. On the opposite side faces of the base members I provide the same arrangement of parts except that they are reversed to bring the shoulders 10 opposite the notch 9 on the reverse face of the side. Near the lower ends of the inner faces of the slot 8 I provide tapered notch outs 12 which terminate in right angled shoulders 13. These notch outs are adapted to receive the flaring side edges of the saddle plate 3 and permit the bottom edges thereof to spring into engagement with the shoulders 13 to interlock the bases on the saddle plate. It will be evident that the flaring open end of the slot 8 will permit the segment base to be slipped over the spring saddle plate and forced downwardly until the plate snaps into interlocking position therewith. The saddle plate extends from side to side of the fire box and has the several segments mounted thereon and centered thereby and freely removable therc-. with from the shaft or supporting member 1. One or more of the segments are provided with a shaker arm 14 formed by an extension of one leg of the base, which extension curves inwardly to bring its enlarged lower end into line with the vertical axial plane of the shaft. The shaker arm is reduced in thickness on one side 15 thereof and on its opposite side is notched at 16, the side wall in which this notch occurs lying throughout in the plane of the adjacent side wall of the base. The object of this arrangement is to permit a shaker rod 17 to be received between the shaker arms 14 of two abutting segments regardless of the way said segments are faced, the rod 16, in one position of the segments, being received in the notches 15, and in the other position being received between the divergent side faces 15 of the shaker arms. Another advantage of this arrangement is the shaker rod is braced to interlock segments on opposite sides of the shaft so that I distribute the strain equally to both -sides of the slotted bases. The tapering of the outer side edges of the bases, as seen in Fig. 2,

is for the purpose of facilitating their insertion by a pair of tongs into a grate bar when it is desired to replace a damaged segment that has been removed without making it necessary to take the bar out of the furnace. Similarly the flaring of the bottom end of the slot 8 in the bases facilitates them being forced down over the spring saddle plate.

In Fig. 4 I show the segments mounted directly upon the tubular shaft 2 which intermediate its ends is slightly flattened to make it oblong in cross section so that it will fit into the slots 8 in the segment bases with a snug fit. It is advisable to hold the segments with their shoulders 10 and grooves 9 interlocked. This is done by providing sleeves 18 having their inner ends 19 flaring and their outer ends internally threaded and screwed on the threaded ends 1 so as to form trunnion bearings therefor and stops between which the bases 6 are held interlocked. The

flaring sleeve ends 19 will fit over the flattened shaft and engage either the segment bases in Fig. 1 or the saddle 3 in Fig. 2.

I provide the lower under corner edges of the fire heads 5 with depending rounded shoulders 20 which are adapted to more positively engage the 'clinkers and slate so as to crush and force them between the grate bars. shoulders also reduces the tendency of the clinkers to wedge between the bars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rocking grate bar formed of a supporting member, a plurality of segments with abutting bases which have each a slot opening through the bottom end thereof to adapt them to straddle said supporting member, and spring retaining means carried by said supporting element and adapt ed to lock the segment bases thereon, substantially as described.

2. A rocking grate bar comprising a series of units, each unit comprising a fire head and a base, there being a bottom opening slot provided in said bases, a shaft forming the axis 'of the bar and having flattened sides adapted to be received in said slots to support the units, and relatively adjustable end means on the shaft to clamp the units in assembled position on said shaft, substantially as described.

3. A rocking grate bar comprising a tubular shaft having rounded threaded ends and an intermediate flattened portion formed by flattening its opposite sides, a series of fire supporting units having slotted bases adapted to straddle the flattened portion of the "tubular shaft, and sleeves threaded on the ends of the shaft and form- This arrangement of the ing end stops between which said segments are held in position thereon.

4. A rocking grate bar comprising a tubular shaft having rounded bearing ends which are threaded and an intermediate flattened portion formed by flattening its opposite sides, a series of fire supporting units having slotted bases adapted to straddle the flattened portion of the tubular shaft, interlocking parts on said bases to hold them in alinement, and sleeves threaded on the ends of the shaft and forming end stops between which said segments are held in interlocked position thereon.

5. A grate bar comprising a series of units, each unit comprising a fire head and a widened base formed integrally, there being a vertical transverse slot in the base which opens through the bottom thereof, a.

U-shaped spring plate adapted to be received in said slot, alining shoulders in the walls of the slots in said units with which said plate engages, and a shaft support for said saddle plate, substantially as described.

6. A grate bar comprising a series of units, each' unit comprising a base slotted to bifurcate it, the upper end of said slot being rounded, a fire head integral with the base and transversely slotted to leave a thin frangible web between the slots, and a shaft adapted to be received in said bifurcating slots of the units and to support them thereon in alinement, substantially as described.

7. A rocking grate bar comprising a plurality of grate segments, each having a bifurcated base, a shaft forming the axis of the bar and which said bases are adapted to straddle, interlocking means on the bases to hold the segments in alinement, the bases while interlocked being vertically and independently removable from the shaft, and relatively movable end means on the shaft to hold the segment bases together in interlocked alinement on said shaft.

8. A rocking grate bar comprising a tubular shaft having its intermediate portion flattened and its ends rounded, separate segments having bifurcated bases adapted to straddle the flattened portion of said shaft, and journal bearing sleeves screwed on the shaft ends and adapted to hold the segments in place.

9. A- rocking grate bar, a shaft forming the axis of the bar and having its intermediate segment bearing portion flattened, segments having bifurcated bases adapted to straddle said shaft, and vertical tongues and grooves on the segment bases arranged to interlock and hold the segments in vertical alinement without interfering with their independent vertical removal from the shaft.

10. A grate bar comprising a plurality of grate segments, each having a bifurcated base and complementary vertical interlocking members adapted to permit relative movement between abutting segments in a vertical direction, a rocking shaft support which said bases are adapted to straddle and from which they are independently removable vertically, and adjustable means on the shaft to hold the segments in position 011 said shaft with their interlocking members engaged.

11. A grate bar comprising a plurality of segments, each having a bifurcated base, interlocking members on said bases adapted to permit abutting segments to be disengaged by relative vertical movement in assembled position, a smooth shaft which is straddled by said bases and along which they are free to move axially if desired, and end members on the shaft to confine the segments on said shaft With their interlocking members engaged.

12. A rocking grate bar comprising a tubular shaft having rounded threaded ends and a flattened intermediate portion, grate bar units mounted on said intermediate portion of the bar, and trunnion sleeves screwed on the ends of the shaft and having flaring bores at their inner ends to receive the flattened portion of the bar and engage the end segments, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of a Witness.

CALVIN R. WAID. lVitness:

NOMIE WELSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

